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Forbes
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Final Four 2025 NCAA Tournament Men's Basketball Odds, Picks And Stats For Auburn-Florida And Houston-Duke
Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) shoots over Texas Tech guard Elijah Hawkins during the second ... More half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 29, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) The pinnacle of college basketball features a historic Final Four April 5-7 in San Antonio. All four No. 1 seeds made the NCAA Tournament Final Four for just the second time (2008). This year's Final Four includes two top SEC teams in one semifinal game with Auburn vs. Florida, and two others who met in last year's Sweet Sixteen defensive duel Houston vs. Duke. Those four teams are also part of a NCAA Tournament profile that has produced 21 of the last 22 national champions, who all finished top-20 in KenPom's adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency ratings. Now Duke, Houston, Florida and Auburn also make history as four of the top 10 KenPom teams off all time since advanced stats tracking started in 1996-97. Basketball odds and futures from FanDuel Sportsbook refresh periodically and are subject to change. That includes on props and live betting, which is most popular during March Madness. Spreads listed on favorites. All times Eastern. Sat., April 5 Mon., April 7 FanDuel Sportsbook has also posted early point spreads and odds on the potential championship game matchups. There are many ways to bet these games beyond the spread, total and moneyline. Halftime betting, prop bets including player props will be popular with live betting generating a greater percentage of the sportsbooks handle. Not only is this just the second time in men's NCAA Tournament history that all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four, but Duke, Houston, Florida and Auburn are also the top-4 teams in KenPom's efficiency ratings with all four teams now top-10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. They have a combined record of 135-16. Picks: Houston +4.5 or 5 over Duke. Betting on March Madness is not an option in San Antonio where the Final Four is held as their is no regulated U.S. sports betting within the state of Texas. The Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) provides this insight from the editor on Houston-Duke. See all four teams stats profile and insight from their Elite Eight wins. Both of these teams play at extremely slow paces, which is something to keep in mind when thinking about the total. However, it's also important when looking at how this game might be played. The Cougars are 360th in the nation in adjusted tempo, and the Blue Devils are 271st in that regard. So, given these are also two of the top-five defensive teams in the country, it's going to be hard for everybody involved in this game to create offense. That alone makes it hard to say Duke is the easy pick to win this one. Adding in the fact that the Cougars are third in the nation in 3PT% (39.7%) and 13th in 3PT% defense (30.1%) only makes Houston look a little better. Plus this added analysis and stats on Florida-Auburn. There are a lot of similarities between the Gators and Tigers. Both teams have fairly similar Rim & 3 Rates, as Florida does check in a bit higher at over 82%, while Auburn is around 77%. The two teams are identical in 3P% defense at 29.6% in games against Division I opponents and Florida is a little bit better at defending 2s, but we're talking about a very small difference of 0.4%. And, while Florida is 0.5% better at shooting 2s, Auburn is 0.4% better at shooting 3s. All of these stats lined up side-by-side per Bart Torvik's game preview page sure do make it look like it will be a toss-up type of game It's all chalk on the Riverwalk with all four No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. This year's NCAA Tournament has also seen favorites go 48-12 straight up and 33-27 against the spread (ATS). Game totals are 25 overs, 34 unders and 1 push. Stay in control of your watch and wager action with a game plan outlined on FanDuel to provide tips to help you learn while you earn and understand some of the pitfalls of gambling on sports. Play with your head, not over it as you watch and wager on the four best teams in college basketball determine this year's national champion. You can bet on it.
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Florida and Texas Tech square off in Elite 8
Texas Tech Red Raiders (28-8, 16-6 Big 12) vs. Florida Gators (33-4, 17-4 SEC) San Francisco; Saturday, 6:09 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Gators -6.5; over/under is 156.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. 3 Florida takes on No. 9 Texas Tech in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators' record in SEC games is 17-4, and their record is 16-0 in non-conference play. Florida ranks second in the SEC with 26.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Alex Condon averaging 4.8. The Red Raiders' record in Big 12 play is 16-6. Texas Tech ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 16.2 assists per game led by Elijah Hawkins averaging 6.2. Florida averages 9.9 made 3-pointers per game, 3.6 more made shots than the 6.3 per game Texas Tech allows. Texas Tech has shot at a 46.7% clip from the field this season, 6.8 percentage points higher than the 39.9% shooting opponents of Florida have averaged. TOP PERFORMERS: Walter Clayton Jr. is scoring 17.7 points per game with 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Gators. Will Richard is averaging 16.1 points over the last 10 games. Chance McMillian averages 2.3 made 3-pointers per game for the Red Raiders, scoring 14.2 points while shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc. JT Toppin is shooting 54.5% and averaging 20.6 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Gators: 9-1, averaging 90.5 points, 37.9 rebounds, 16.2 assists, 6.9 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 77.8 points per game. Red Raiders: 8-2, averaging 78.8 points, 34.7 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 4.6 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.4 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
New York Times
29-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Men's March Madness 2025: What to watch for on Day 7
The Elite Eight is bringing the fire! In the first of two games Saturday, the swarming offense of Texas Tech will lock horns with the relentless scoring prowess and swagger of Florida. It also will be a clash of two of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country. Following that will be a battle of blue blood versus rising tide, as Duke brings its storied legacy and a ton of talent to take on Alabama's high-octane attack in a heavyweight showdown dripping with Final Four stakes. Advertisement Four teams, two tickets, and only the toughest survive — and we'll do it again Sunday! Like always, The Athletic has you covered with analysis and coverage. 6:09 p.m. ET on TBS Don't celebrate too early; you never know what can happen. Texas Tech trailed Arkansas by 6 points with 1:10 remaining but pushed the game to OT and sent the Razorbacks home scratching their heads. Tech beat Arkansas by attacking the offensive glass. Over their last five games, the Red Raiders have averaged 14.4 offensive rebounds per game, including 22 against Arkansas. To beat Florida, they will need to continue that effort and make 3s. Both teams can score in bunches and seem to play better when the game is on the line. You won't see any panic from either squad, as both had to overcome deficits to punch their tickets to the Elite Eight. Both offenses are among the top five in the country, but Florida has three guards capable of putting up 20 points with ease. How Tech defends them in the pick-and-roll will be crucial. Tech's best offense is letting Darrion Williams and/or Elijah Hawkins operate in the pick-and-roll with Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Both teams have future NBA players who could be drafted in the next couple of years, so expect them to show up big. But keep an eye on Texas Tech freshman Christian Anderson Jr. He's coming off a career-high 22 points and will need to make shots if Chance McMillian (upper body) is still out. 8:49 p.m. ET on TBS I filled out 37 brackets this year, and this was the game I was stuck on. Alabama has the offense, star power, length and experience to beat Duke, but that's easier said than done. Duke is efficient on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Blue Devils rank in the top 10 in 2-point and 3-point percentage, so they should be able to score with Alabama despite playing at a slower pace. Advertisement Alabama is the third-oldest team in the field, and that experience could be an advantage in key moments. Duke starts three freshmen; they are all very good but have never played in a game of this importance. They have been flawless all season, but we've seen that March Madness can sometimes be too much for freshmen. Who guards Cooper Flagg and how? Pay attention to what Alabama does defensively when Flagg has the ball in pick-and-roll situations. The Blue Devils were outrebounded in two of their three losses. The key to taking down Duke is owning the glass, and Alabama has the size, depth and athleticism to do so. Both teams can score at will and this could be a high-scoring affair despite the elite defenses. The first to 80 wins.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florida and Texas Tech square off in Elite 8
Texas Tech Red Raiders (28-8, 16-6 Big 12) vs. Florida Gators (33-4, 17-4 SEC) San Francisco; Saturday, 6:09 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Gators -6.5; over/under is 156.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. 3 Florida takes on No. 9 Texas Tech in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. Advertisement The Gators' record in SEC games is 17-4, and their record is 16-0 in non-conference play. Florida ranks second in the SEC with 26.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Alex Condon averaging 4.8. The Red Raiders' record in Big 12 play is 16-6. Texas Tech ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 16.2 assists per game led by Elijah Hawkins averaging 6.2. Florida averages 9.9 made 3-pointers per game, 3.6 more made shots than the 6.3 per game Texas Tech allows. Texas Tech has shot at a 46.7% clip from the field this season, 6.8 percentage points higher than the 39.9% shooting opponents of Florida have averaged. TOP PERFORMERS: Walter Clayton Jr. is scoring 17.7 points per game with 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Gators. Will Richard is averaging 16.1 points over the last 10 games. Advertisement Chance McMillian averages 2.3 made 3-pointers per game for the Red Raiders, scoring 14.2 points while shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc. JT Toppin is shooting 54.5% and averaging 20.6 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Gators: 9-1, averaging 90.5 points, 37.9 rebounds, 16.2 assists, 6.9 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 77.8 points per game. Red Raiders: 8-2, averaging 78.8 points, 34.7 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 4.6 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.4 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Associated Press
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Florida and Texas Tech square off in Elite 8
Texas Tech Red Raiders (28-8, 16-6 Big 12) vs. Florida Gators (33-4, 17-4 SEC) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Gators -6.5; over/under is 156.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. 3 Florida takes on No. 9 Texas Tech in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators' record in SEC games is 17-4, and their record is 16-0 in non-conference play. Florida ranks second in the SEC with 26.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Alex Condon averaging 4.8. The Red Raiders' record in Big 12 play is 16-6. Texas Tech ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 16.2 assists per game led by Elijah Hawkins averaging 6.2. Florida averages 9.9 made 3-pointers per game, 3.6 more made shots than the 6.3 per game Texas Tech allows. Texas Tech has shot at a 46.7% clip from the field this season, 6.8 percentage points higher than the 39.9% shooting opponents of Florida have averaged. TOP PERFORMERS: Walter Clayton Jr. is scoring 17.7 points per game with 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Gators. Will Richard is averaging 16.1 points over the last 10 games. Chance McMillian averages 2.3 made 3-pointers per game for the Red Raiders, scoring 14.2 points while shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc. JT Toppin is shooting 54.5% and averaging 20.6 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Gators: 9-1, averaging 90.5 points, 37.9 rebounds, 16.2 assists, 6.9 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 77.8 points per game. Red Raiders: 8-2, averaging 78.8 points, 34.7 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 4.6 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.4 points. ___
